Growing Need
by The Drowess Nione Ithiliel
Summary: Tsuzuki x Hisoka  Tsuzuki believes that his feelings towards his partner make him like Muraki.  Hisoka loves and wants Tsuzuki, and madness ensues when the young shinigami decides to take matters into his own hands...
1. Realization

Kurosaki Hisoka had a lot to think about, lying awake in his futon, surrounded by the silence of the near-empty space he called a bedroom, his storming thoughts more than enough to make up for the lack of external sound. The worst part about being an empath was that he had a perfect understanding of everyone's emotions but his own, and the more he struggled to understand them, find the answers to the questions burning constantly in his mind, the less he wanted to know and accept the truth.

Since Kyoto, emotions he'd tried so hard to deny, to be rid of, had only grown exponentially stronger. It had started after the Nagasaki case as a mere fondness of the amethyst-eyed baka he'd been tricked into working with. That affinity had taken on a twinge of jealousy towards Minase Hijiri during the Saagatanasu ordeal; he'd found himself more than slightly annoyed at Hijiri's mere mention of his partner's name with that starry look in his eyes. The jealousy that had confused him for so long... after all, why should he care who made romantic advances towards that idiot? He tolerated Tsuzuki Asato, he even _liked_ him, but his feelings were purely platonic... weren't they?

Only the slightest hints of attraction had begun to surface during the fiasco in Hokkaido. When Tsuzuki had offered him his hand, the only light in a pitch black forest, his heart had raced so quickly and loudly that he was certain the elder shinigami must have heard it. For the sake of his pride, he'd acted cold and indifferent, even angry, pushing the beautiful man even further away from him. He'd felt something for Tsubaki-hime, nothing powerful but something nonetheless, and had felt no embarassment in physical contact with her. How, then, could the very _thought_ of taking Tsuzuki's hand in his own have such a profound effect on his body? The idea still brought a stain of pink to his ivory cheeks.

It was at one of the Count's annual tea parties that his sentiments had begun to radically transform. The time his idiot partner had been trapped in the Count's enchanted story book; he had been forced to realize just how deep the emotions between Tsuzuki and Tatsumi had run even after their partnership had ended. "My happiness... is _your_ happiness," the normally steely secretary had declared.

He had bitterly envied Tatsumi at that moment, nearly to the point of hatred.

To have that sort of bond with Tsuzuki... it was then that Hisoka had discovered, much to his horror, that this innocent, meaningless crush had become something much more serious... a longing more intense than anything he'd ever felt before, even more so than his deep yearning as a child for the love of his parents. He wanted more than anything else to be the one Tsuzuki turned to in times of despair and need, to be the protector as opposed to the protected.

He'd been more than grateful for the case in Okinawa, despite his being prone to fainting. No Muraki, no powerful demons... and no Tatsumi. At first, he'd been a bit irritated with Chizuru for bringing them out to that city with ungodly temperatures for a personal favor, but one look from those mesmerizing purple gems was all it had taken to sway him. Those eyes had been so much easier to say "no" to when he had been trying to hate the puppy-boy. He'd admitted to Tsuzuki then, "I lost that battle the day I became your partner." That w_as_ the day it had all begun, wasn't it? Even then, he could never find it in himself to hate the sweet-tooth.

Then there was Kyoto, where Muraki set out to break an already fragile soul, and succeeded by accusing Tsuzuki of not being human, of having demon blood in his veins. That night, Tsuzuki had turned not to Hisoka, but to alcohol for solace. Hisoka, however, had insisted on going with him, later giving him an excuse along the lines of, "This city doesn't need another drunk wandering around by themselves." Tsuzuki then revealed what Muraki had claimed him to be, bolting out the door of the bar as memories he'd never wanted to relive wracked his heart with unbearable pain. He'd then proceeded to mar the beautiful eyes he so loathed, that had brought him so much persecution in life. Hisoka had rushed over to him, halting his self-mutilation, insisting that Tsuzuki w_as_ human, and…

He'd embraced him, held him in his arms. As the older man's head had rested upon his lap, he'd felt a serenity unlike any other wash over his gorgeous partner, that feeling then infiltrating his own soul. He could die like this…

He almost had, as the peace was shattered beyond repair by the mad doctor once more, who had turned the helpless girl they'd made every effort to protect into that… monster. Disobeying her master's orders, Suzaku killed the girl, sending Tsuzuki into an emotional cavern from which there was seemingly no return. 'Another life taken because of me,' he'd thought before succumbing to unconsciousness, Muraki seizing the opportunity to snatch the fragile man. It was then Hisoka had known that the 'want' he had felt before had evolved into a blinding '_need_' as he pursued Muraki in vain, screaming Tsuzuki's name.

That need drove him to fight a battle he couldn't possibly win against Mibu Oriya, to jump into Touda's flames despite the threat of a permanent death, to throw himself into the broken man's arms, begging him to stay, even if only for the sake of his own selfishness. "I need you!" Yes, he'd confessed this to Tsuzuki, _screamed_ it, receiving a soft, almost inaudible reply of, "Can I… stay with you?" The answer, of course, had been, "Yes." Tsuzuki had held him even tighter then, and the void in Hisoka's heart was filled with a sense of warmth, belonging, and love. He would gladly die this way if it meant he could keep that sense of completion, the feeling he could only experience by Tsuzuki's side…

Rescued by Tatsumi's shadows, they had lived, and Hisoka's need for Tsuzuki had grown voracious. In the few months that had passed since the insanity of Gensoukai, another dangerous emotion had begun to worm into Hisoka's being: lust. The dreams he'd begun having had frightened him at first, but became increasingly appealing as they returned more and more frequently. Dreams of Tsuzuki's satin lips against his own, tongues warring as those long, slender fingers glided over every inch of his body… of him moaning and writhing against the elder shinigami's perfect form, whose amethyst eyes clouded with desire as his mouth ventured lower…

This line of thought had to stop if Hisoka wanted to get any sleep tonight.

He marveled at how a simple fondness had turned into a ravenous need, innocent attraction into consuming lust, how hatred (which was really more annoyance than anything) towards the childish sweet-addict had turned into---

Reality slapping him in the face, the truth refused to be denied any longer as Hisoka realized what should have been so obvious long ago.

He was in love with Tsuzuki.


	2. Unworthy

Planting passionate kisses along Hisoka's neck, Tsuzuki stopped to suck the hot spot where it met the shoulder as his fingers ghosted down the boy's chest. One hand drifted steadily further as the other squeezed a nipple between the index finger and thumb, earning a small gasp from the youth as his back arched, grinding his erection deliciously against Tsuzuki's hardness. This action caused the older man to groan, and he began rocking his hips against his young partner's, sweet friction building as their members slid against each other. Moan after moan escaped Hisoka's lips as he responded with upward thrusts of his own.

The southward-bound hand finally reached its destination, stroking Hisoka's inner thighs before fondling his balls, causing him to cry out. Taking this as his cue, Tsuzuki ceased his hips' movements, running a hot, wet trail to his partner's available nipple, swirling around it. Finally reaching the hardened nub itself, he gave it a light lick, biting down gently, and blew on it as his mouth left to explore new territory. The blonde grunted, his form trembling as he threw his head back and grasped desperately at the bedsheets.

He wound his way towards the ultimate goal, dipping his tongue into Hisoka's navel, every noise the boy made causing his already scorching desire to rise. At last reaching his lover's straining arousal, he licked his way to the head, running the very tip of his tongue along the slit, savouring the hiss that reached his ears as he lapped up the pre-come. Tsuzuki took one last look at Hisoka, emerald eyes glazed with want, face flushed a dark shade of crimson, breath quickening with every passing moment as his body quivered in anticipation, before taking the youth's cock into his mouth.

His partner lost all sense of restraint, slender fingers tightly gripping his chocolate hair as a loud, lustful groan voiced the boy's need. Tsuzuki removed the hand that was previously on Hisoka's nipple, unable to fight the overwhelming need to stroke his own neglected member. Licking and sucking up and down the engorged length, occasionally scraping his teeth along the sensitive flesh, his pace picked up as hips bucked wildly underneath him, encouraged by moans and pants that grew more intense with each passing second. Just as his young love was about to reach his climax, Tsuzuki pulled his mouth away, hooking Hisoka's knees over his shoulders and pressing his throbbing erection against the youth's tight entrance, locking their lips in a fiery kiss. Slowly pushing his way in, he could no longer contain himself when he was completely sheathed in velvet warmth, pumping in and out of his lover at a maddening pace. Hearing the moans turn into shouts, feeling fingernails clawing at his back as his partner writhed in ecstasy only made him thrust harder, the flame between them burning hotter and hotter until, "Oh, _gods_---"

"---Hisoka!!"

Tsuzuki awoke with a start to find his boxers uncomfortably sticky. Another one of _those_ dreams...

He'd been having these sorts of dreams alarmingly often, to the point to where he dare not doze off at work for fear of Hisoka picking up on the waves of pleasure he would undoubtedly emit.

He sighed, tossing the covers aside carelessly as he rolled out of the bed, peeling the messy underwear off of himself and throwing it into the overflowing laundry hamper. Before heading towards the bathroom, he reached for the spare pair of boxers he'd placed on the nightstand.

Yes, it happened _that_ often.

And every time it did, he hated himself for it.

Not that he didn't enjoy the dreams; oh no, that was the farthest thing from the truth. It was the fact that he _did_ enjoy them so much that provoked his self-loathing. 'As if Hisoka's personal life wasn't hellish enough when he was alive, his only _sexual_ experience was even worse... so how can I even _think_ of sleeping with him?!' _'Quite easily,'_ the malicious voice in the back of his head chimed in.

Scrubbing his groin and thighs with a warm, wet hand towel, he quickly became disgusted with himself for feeling the way he did towards his younger partner. Despite being over twenty years old chronologically, Hisoka's lithe, skinny body was still only sixteen. _Sixteen_... and this was the body he dreamt of holding, touching, kissing... "Yamerou!!" His fist pounded into the counter top of the sink. Looking down at himself, there was no trace of the night's erotic illusion left on his skin... and yet he still felt every bit as filthy.

In the morning, this filthiness would forbid him from looking that beautiful boy in his equally stunning green eyes, wracking his heart with guilt and self-directed anger... but would also very willingly allow him to stare longingly, greedily, at pure ivory skin, to wonder if it was as soft as it appeared... what it would taste like... 'Urusai!!' his mind screamed at his desires.

Slipping his spare boxers on, he was ready to return to bed; that is, until he noticed a few small shapes on his bed shimmering in the moonlight. "Dammit..." It _had_ made it onto the sheets. Roughly throwing his pillow and comforter to the floor, he wasted no time tearing the navy-blue sheets that were stained with white off of the matress and hurling them in the general direction of the hamper, hardly caring where they ended up as long as they were out of his sight.

This had been so much simpler before Kyoto; he had been no less in love with Hisoka before, but his lust was far easier to supress back then. His love hadn't been so thickly tainted with need as it was now... and the more control he lost, the more he felt---

'Iie!!' he shrieked violently in his thoughts.

He didn't bother replacing the sheets; he was going back to sleep _now_. This line of thought needed to end before it truly began.

'_Give it up, Asato,_' that evil voice sneered, '_quit wallowing in denial: if you can't keep your feelings towards a mere bouya in line--_'

'Urusai!!'

'_--then you're no better than that sick bastard Muraki._'

His heart sank as the truth of the phantom's words permeated his core. For that reason, foremost among many, tears stung his violet eyes as he faced the facts.

He was unworthy of Hisoka.


	3. Anxiety and Conspiracy

Hisoka's vision blurred as soon as he saw the daunting piles of paperwork on his and Tsuzuki's desks, a migraine beginning to throb at his temples that he knew would only get worse once his lazy bum of a partner showed up. He hadn't managed to get any sleep the previous night, so he knew it was going to be a long, _long_ day the moment he saw the terrified resident scientist running away from an infuriated glowing-magenta-skinned Tatsumi, who fumed with flame-breath, "What the hell did you put in the coffee, Watari??" He groaned miserably as he thought to himself, 'That means coffee's out of the question,' as many of his co-workers dumped the contents of their mugs into sinks, waste bins, plants... whatever was nearest to them.

He was so immersed in trying to write in comprehensible sentences, barely keeping his drooping eyelids open, that he didn't even notice Tsuzuki stumble in nearly an hour later. It was only when a heavy "plop" nearly broke the seat by the desk beside his own that his head snapped in his partner's direction, who didn't appear to have gotten much rest either, dark circles sagging under dull and bloodshot purple eyes. Hisoka, slightly concerned that the man hadn't even looked at him, let alone said anything, attempted to start a conversation. "You look like you got just about as much sleep as _I_ did." Tsuzuki shifted his tired gaze towards the boy's, not quite looking into the emerald orbs, muttering a weary, "Oh... Ohayou, Hisoka," with a half-attempt at a smile, then placing his attention in the hellish stack of papers before him. Raising an eyebrow, the blonde inquired with a hint of concern, "Daijobu ka?" The only answer he received was a slight nod. '_Liar_,' Hisoka mentally accused, 'you look like second death, you're being _quiet_, you didn't bring a single sweet with you... and you're _working_!' In the green-eyed shinigami's mind, something was very wrong with this picture. Probing the elder man's thoughts proved useless; exhausted or not, Tsuzuki had his shields up full force, for which there was only one explanation: the man had something he was trying desperately to hide.

Lunch break finally came, much to Hisoka's relief. Neither had said a single word to the other since he'd asked Tsuzuki if he was all right, but if there was one thing that could end his partner's unnerving silence, it was food. Stretching as he rose from his seat, Hisoka yawned, "So, where are we goi--- huh?" The idiot had fallen asleep while writing a report, and would probably wake up with it stuck to his face, ink staining his cheek when he peeled it off. 'It won't be the first time _that's_ happened,' the youth mused. "Oi! Tsuzuki! Time for lunch," he stated loudly, amazed that the mere mention of the meal hadn't stirred the slightest reaction from the brunette. Stepping over toward him, the boy placed a hand on his shoulder and shook it roughly. "Oi! Bakayarou! If you don't get up, I won't bring you anything back!" Tsuzuki never even opened his eyes as he swatted at the offensive hand, mumbling incoherently.

Had Hisoka not already been dead, his shock at the man's actions (or lack thereof) would have sent him into cardiac arrest. 'He must be _really_ drained to ingore the threat of no food...' As much as he hated to admit it, his partner was breathtaking when he slept, and the blonde found himself unable to tear his gaze from the peaceful look on those sharp features. A hand reached out to brush wayward chocolate strands back, recoiling suddenly as a contented sigh escaped from lips that now formed a small smile. Blushing madly, Hisoka rushed to the door, deciding he _would_ get him some lo mein after all...

His head fell back as Hisoka began licking and biting his way down his neck, the boy's fingers snaking through his hair as he lead a hot, wet trail over his older lover's adam's apple, dipping into the hollow of his throat. Continuing lower, he nipped at the man's collar bone, earning a whimper as shivers shot through both spines. "That shirt," he purred as his fingers commenced in undoing its buttons, "is in the way." Tsuzuki let out a low moan, panting heavily as fleeting kisses were placed along his broad chest, his abdomen...

Upon feeling a sharp tug at his belt, he chanced a glance downwards to witness Hisoka undoing the buckle with his teeth, the button and zipper of his pants meeting the same fate. He groaned aloud at the sight, his breath hitching when a delicate hand slowly reached into his boxers---

"---Wake up, you idiot!!"

A decent-sized hard-cover book making painful contact with the back of his skull was enough to cause Tsuzuki's eyes to fly open, bulging out of his sockets. "Mou," he whined, "hidoi na, Hisoka-chan!" Puppy-Tsuzuki's comical rivers of tears came to a swift hault when he saw his partner's expression. He had _never_ seen Hisoka's face this deep a shade of scarlet before, said shinigami doing all in his power to avoid the widened amethyst eyes that were fixed on him. The reality of what had just happened finally hit Tsuzuki, who barely managed an, "Oh, shit..."

He'd fallen asleep at work, and Hisoka had walked in on Tsuzuki having a dream about his partner that he was very clearly enjoying.

It was Tsuzuki's turn to blush as he stammered a string of apologies, which were promptly cut off with a snappy, "Whatever; I brought you lunch." Still refusing to make eye contact with him, the boy placed three boxes of lo mein on the elder's desk, saving one for himself.

Watari Yutaka's eyes shone, an evil grin gracing his feminine features as he forced the last of the dropper's clear contents into the cup meant for Bon, the liquid drying almost instantly. Odorless, colorless, tasteless: the perfect disguise. After what he'd managed to witness before the kid had kicked their office door shut, there wasn't a snowball's chance in the Hells that he'd pass _this_ experiment up.

He'd been watching those two pussyfoot around their emotions for too long now; it was blatantly obvious they were in love. Well, to a keen observer such as himself, anyway, though it didn't take anywhere near his level of genius to know how _Tsuzuki_ felt about his partner. He and Bon were meant for each other... the golden-haired scientist was merely going to give them a push in the right direction. Positioning the cups, teapot, and cookies on the plastic tray, he made his way towards their office with a bright, devious smile on his face.


	4. According to Plan

Anger, lust, guilt, fear, and shame.

Emotions that, despite Tsuzuki's most valiant efforts, crashed through his partner's mind, wave after wave rattling his brain. Hisoka was certain that if this continued for much longer, his head would explode.

Tsuzuki... he still refused to look him in the eye, despite the overwhelming urge to comfort his guilt-ridden partner. He'd known for quite some time that the man loved him, but until just a few moments ago, he'd thought the sentiments were brotherly in nature. The love he'd witnessed in Tsuzuki's dream, however, was _far_ from fraternal; such was obvious even without his empathy. Upon re-entering the office, he'd at first supposed the brunette's shortness of breath to be the result of fear, possibly from a nightmare. His empathic senses, and some closer inspection, soon told him otherwise. Slamming the boxes of Chinese food onto his desk, he rushed towards the man to wake him, but came to a dead halt about half a foot's distance from him as a scalding desire swept into every fiber of his being. Images of himself undoing Tsuzuki's pants with his teeth flooded his mind, a very real groan from the sleeping form in front of him snapping him back into reality, and a glance just below the violet-eyed shinigami's waistline showed just how this fantasy was affecting him.

Hisoka's blood had turned to lava, and Tsuzuki's arousal mixing with his own only made trying to deny his aching body that much more difficult. This had to stop _now_. He'd thrown the first thing he could find into the baka's skull, waking him and ending the torment. He knew he was blushing - furiously - and avoided the puppy-eyes being sent his way not only from embarrassment, but also because he feared Tsuzuki would see the lust in _his_ emerald pools.

So, what now?

Hisoka had secretly been relieved to know that his partner returned his sentiments, but what to do with that knowledge?

His chain of thought was broken when he felt a rush of excessive cheer coming their way as the door swung open, a jubilant, "Ohayou!" wreaking hell on his eardrums. "Ohayou, Watari-san," Hisoka grumbled, murmuring under his breath, "Speaking of my head exploding..." Turning his head towards the sunny voice, Tsuzuki plastered that fake, expected smile onto his face and exclaimed, "Ohayou, Watari! What brings you here?" Grinning from ear to ear, Watari replied, "Well, you guys looked like you could use a lift, so I brought some green tea and cookies!"

Hisoka shot a suspicious glare at the scientist, cautiously asking, "What's it laced with? I don't want _my_ skin glowing some weird color."

The golden-haired shinigami looked positively crestfallen. "Bon," he frowned, "I'm hurt that you would think me capable of such a thing! Besides, I've already gotten my share of scolding from Tatsumi-san..." Smiling innocently, he chirped, "All it's loaded with is caffeine!"

At the utterance of the word "caffeine," Hisoka came to the speedy conclusion that this was a risk he couldn't afford not to take. "Fine," he snarled, "but if I start growing extra limbs..."

"Oh, just calm down and have some tea!" Watari poured the steaming green liquid into the boy's cup and gently placed it into his hands.

Still a bit wary, Hisoka barely sipped at the tea, taken back by surprise as he noted, 'It tastes... _normal_! He might not have spiked it after all...'

Tsuzuki poured his own cup, heaping a gracious amount of sugar into his drink and helping himself to at least ten cookies. "So, what kind of projects have you been working on lately?" the sugar-addict amiably inquired.

"The usual," his amber-eyed friend responded off-handedly, taking sips from the cup he'd prepared for himself, "my sex change potion, remedies to supposedly 'unbreakable' spells, a shampoo/conditioner that renders one's hair invulnerable to damage and split ends..."

Staring into his empty cup, Hisoka noticed that he _did_ feel a bit different... as if his entire body had suddenly been set on fire. 'It's probably just the caffeine kicking in,' he mentally reassured himself, fetching another serving. The more he drank, however, the more this heat intensified, the flame pooling into his groin whenever he so much as glanced at his partner. His eyes were starting to glaze over, fixed on the "v" of enticing skin that showed through the top of Tsuzuki's shirt, his heart racing and breath quickening ever so slightly as the conversation around him was reduced to a drone of unintelligible sound.

"You okay, Bon?"

Startled, his gaze darted to meet those of concerned honey-hued orbs. "You look a little flushed," Watari stated, his voice tinted with a hint of worry.

"I'm fine," Hisoka answered curtly.

The resident scientist was opening his mouth to say more when an enraged shriek shook the building, "Watari, where's that antidote??! For every moment I have to wait, I'm severely docking your pay!!!" A giant sweat drop formed on the back of his head as Watari nervously fumbled, "I'd better get going; need to finish that antidote for the stuff I put in the coffee pot this morning. Rose pink really becomes Kannuki-chan, though..."

Darting towards the door, he turned to the pair with a final, "Ja na," and made his exit.

As soon as he was out of the dynamic duo's office, Watari grinned wickedly to himself. 'Bon was ready to jump his bones... all is going according to plan! We'll see just how dynamic that duo can be...'

Tsuzuki, having finally mustered the courage to speak to his partner, announced, "You really _do_ look a little flushed... I can tell Konoe-kachou if you need to go home--"

Violet eyes widened in shock when Hisoka straddled his waist, fingers entangled in his dark locks as his lips were locked in a feverish kiss, an emboldened tongue demanding entrance to his mouth that he was more than willing to give. Tongues sparred for a moment far too brief before Hisoka pulled away, purring into his ear with a nip at the lobe, "Only if you go with me."


	5. Passion and Painful Admissions

"H-Hisoka," Tsuzuki stammered, "What are you--"

He was swiftly silenced by Hisoka's lips again crushing his own, the boy's brazen tongue plundering his mouth once more, waging a territorial war with Tsuzuki's as he explored every inch of the humid cavern. Tsuzuki drank the blonde's flavour covetously, the blood he had forced out of his groin returning with a painful vengeance, moaning into the kiss when his clothed erection was greeted roughly by Hisoka's, the fabric between them heightening the friction. Chuckling, his youthful partner planted smoldering kisses from his jaw to his shoulder, biting down hard on the nape of his neck, causing the brunette to gasp as he leaned his head back to give his love full access to the sensitive skin.

'Can this really be happening?' he wondered. 'I've never seen Hisoka so... _aggressive_ before...' All doubt of this being a reality was quickly erased from his mind, as was most coherent thought, when said aggressor began nibbling on his collar bone, frantic fingers hurriedly unbuttoning his white work shirt. Those slender digits wove sensuous patterns down his chest and abdomen, one hand retracing its steps to pinch a nipple as the other lead a ghosting fingertip up the man's spine, who whimpered desperately and arched his body into Hisoka's at the contact. "Nnnnn... Tsuzuki..." the youth groaned, lowering his head to his partner's available nipple, suckling the hardened bud as he took it between his teeth, rewarded with a hiss as Tsuzuki's breathing grew ragged.

Beyond the strong tea they had consumed, Tsuzuki had been able to detect a hint of citrus in the boy's essence before their lips had parted, and he found himself craving more. Gripping his blonde lover's chin, he claimed Hisoka's mouth, thrusting his tongue past lips that were all too eager to comply to his demands. 'Mmm... lemon tarts. Does his entire body taste like that?' He decided to find out, lapping at Hisoka's throat with long, maddeningly slow licks, then sucking the ultra-sensitive crook of the slim neck, earning a pleasured sigh as the pliant form against him trembled with need. Slipping his hands underneath the teen's t-shirt, he spread his fingers out as they traveled upward, hiking the cloth up with them, wanting to feel as wide a range of creamy skin as possible. Hisoka automatically raised his arms, just as impatient for Tsuzuki to free him from the offensive piece of clothing as Tsuzuki was to remove it, said article viciously tossed across the room and quickly forgotten.

Wrapping his arms around his partner's neck, Hisoka dragged the elder shinigami to the floor, legs locked around Tsuzuki's waist, savouring the skin-to-skin contact their sweat-slickened chests made as the brunette descended upon him. The boy began moaning loudly, clenching his fingers in silken brown hair as the man's fingers began toying with his nipples, hips grinding in a steady rhythm against his own. Running his tongue over the teen's collar bone, he proceeded down his love's chest; the lower his mouth ventured, the slower he licked and sucked the bare abdomen. He (and other parts of his anatomy) was delighted to find that the youth was not wearing underwear as he let his tongue slide just beneath the waistline of Hisoka's blue jeans. The blonde cried out in ecstasy, arching his back off of the floor and pleading between pants, "Tsu-Tsuzuki!... Onegai!..." Lust-darkened amethyst gems met those of emerald hue, glazed and half-lidded with desire...

That was when Tsuzuki noticed that Hisoka's pupils were twice their normal size. Watari _had_ drugged him.

Confusion was written on every inch of the boy's face. "Why did... you stop?..." The beautiful eyes piercing his own suddenly turned away, filled with shame. Tsuzuki rose to stand as he meekly stated, "I can't continue this."

A very clearly furious and frustrated Hisoka bolted to his feet, screaming, "Why the hells _not_??"

Tsuzuki carefully re-buttoned his shirt, guilt choking his voice as he said, "Watari put something in your drink, 'Soka. You're not in your right mind."

"I don't give a shit!!" The younger shinigami glared daggers as he continued to yell, "What, you think I never wanted you _before_?? You don't think I've never had dreams about _you_--"

"Hisoka!!"

Anguish shone in his violet eyes as Tsuzuki brushed the backs of his fingers along a flushed cheek, shakily revealing, "Don't think I don't want this; we both know that's the furthest thing from the truth... but if I take advantage of you in this state, I'm no better than Muraki." With that, he silently stepped towards the door.

Anger flared through Hisoka's person, gritting his teeth and clenching his fists. His face lowered, flaxen bangs covering tearing eyes, he accused, "It's because I'm still just a _bouya_ to you, isn't it? That no matter how old I get, I'll still be a child in your eyes?"

Tsuzuki refused to answer, instead replying quietly as he exited the room, "I'll go tell Konoe-kachou that you're sick."

Hisoka was absolutely livid, and that rage radiated from every pale pore as he stormed towards Watari's lab. He had been absolutely devastated when Tsuzuki left. He'd fallen to his knees, sobbing, until he'd realized that the solution to his problem was just down the hallway. Upon reaching his destination, he regained his composure, and calmly knocked at the entrance, which rapidly opened as a fuming amber-eyed scientist shouted, "God_dammit_, Terazuma, didn't I just tell you-- oh!" His voice softened in apology as he greeted, "Hey, Bon! How can I help you?" The almost-inaudible response was, "Do you still have some of that potion? The one you used when you turned yourself and Tsuzuki into children, to get back to your normal age?" It dawned upon Watari what must have happened between the kid and his self-loathing partner. "You know, I'm fairly certain I do... come on in."

After about fifteen minutes of digging through the clutter, the scientist cheered, "Here it is! The Rapid-Aging Potion! So, how much older do you want to be?" Bon, still rather sulky, moodily answered from his seat on a lab stool, "Ten years; I'm tired of being 'just a kid.'" Carefully pouring half the beaker's garnet contents into a small jar, he twisted the lid on and handed it to the boy, proclaiming, "Well, it's settled! You'll only need eight ounces as opposed to the 16 ounces Tsuzuki and I took, since you're only going for half the age difference we were. Let me know if you feel _any_ unpleasant side affects, okay?" "Yeah, fine, sure," Hisoka mumbled as he hopped off the stool and grasped the jar, ready to teleport home. "Oh, and Watari?"

"Hmm?" the blonde scientist replied worriedly.

"Thank you," the teen said hushedly.

Watari inwardly sighed in relief that he wasn't going to get chewed out for spiking the kid's tea. "Not a problem, Bon!" Offering a sunny smile as he waved goodbye, he thought to himself once the youngest shinigami shimmered and disappeared, 'Not a problem at all... Tsuzuki may be even happier than _you'll_ be once he sees the results.'


	6. Hard Lemonade Part 1: Heated Conflict

Tsuzuki Asato was wedged between a rock and a hard place.

His relationship with his young partner had changed forever, and it still had yet to be seen whether this change was for the better or the worse. His reserved, blush-prone Hisoka had made a _very_ sexual advance towards him... under the influence of a drug somehow slipped into his tea. Three hours later, Tsuzuki now wondered what repercussions these chance happenings would yield. Things would no doubt be awkward between them; possibly even too much so for one or the other to bear. Would the boy regret his actions once whatever chemicals were flowing through him wore off? Would he hate the elder shinigami for letting things get as far as they did? That idea was one Tsuzuki chose not to entertain. 'If I lose Hisoka now, my reason for living will be gone...'

There was one other crisis the violet-eyed man found himself barely fending off: he couldn't remember the last time he'd had such a horrendous case of blue balls, if he'd _ever_ had one this bad before. His thoughts spun rapidly in a vicious circle; trying to find a solution to the matter at hand, remembering what had caused the situation, telling himself the emerald-eyed youth had been acting on the drug rather than his own emotions, imagining the consequences, then back to finding a solution. However, his mind dwelt on the events leading up to this dilemma much longer than it did anything else; something he couldn't stop his body from doing either. Even now, his skin burned with the memory of Hisoka's touch, could still taste him on his own lips, his scent lingering in the air, his moans and pleas echoing in Tsuzuki's ears...

It suddenly became embarrassingly apparent that he could _really_ use a cold shower, despite his newly-erect member's vehement opposal to the idea.

He nearly fell out of his chair in surprise when his cell phone rang, especially upon recognizing the ring tone, "Sweet Vanilla." The tone he'd chosen for Hisoka. Panic set in as he sped to the coat tree, fumbling through every pocket in his trench coat, finally locating his phone and pressing the "talk" button. "Moshi moshi?" "Good, you answered," was the coarse reply.

"Doushita, Hisoka-chan?"

"Come over to my place after work. We need to talk."

A variety of worst-case scenarios plagued Tsuzuki. 'He probably regrets everything... hates me for being weak enough to let it get out of control...' His heart sank at what he considered the worst of them, 'What if he wants to end our partnership?!'

"BAKAYAROU!!! THAT'S _NOT_ WHAT WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT!!!" The scream rattled Tsuzuki's ear drums with animalistic brutality, and he was amazed afterwards that he could still hear, regenerative powers or not.

"D-daijobu..." the baka timidly responded.

"I'll see you then," Hisoka curtly stated, hanging up.

A very confused Tsuzuki remained motionless for a moment before rising from his seat to tell Konoe-kachou that he was leaving to check on his partner.

Hisoka sat numbly on the black leather couch, clad in only his blue jeans, the small jar of garnet liquid alternating between one hand and the other. Why had he hesitated so long? Wasn't he sick of being an adult stuck in a teenager's body, especially one with so many limitations and weaknesses? What was keeping him from just chugging the stuff right then and there?

Fear, that's what. Would he still have the bony, skinny frame he did now? How would he cope if his visage was a mirror's reflection of Kurosaki Nagare? That sad excuse for a father had, like another man he knew, treated him like a soulless puppet. There was also the likely chance that his empathy would be amplified, and if that were the case, he had no idea how he was going to control this new level of power. 'If I remain the way I am, though,' Hisoka thought to himself, 'Tsuzuki will never see me as anything more than a child.' He opened the jar and set it on the table, staring into its contents contemplatively, when a faint knock at the door reinstated his connection with reality. Pulling himself up, he wearily tread towards the door, recognizing his visitor's aura at once. Swinging the door open, he stared impassively into concerned amethyst spheres, growling, "I thought I said _after_ work."

"You sounded pretty upset, so I was worried..." Tsuzuki stopped mid-sentence, sniffing the air tentatively, his eyes suddenly lighting up as he exclaimed, "Persimmons!!" Before the blonde could even ask what the hells he was talking about, the older man barged into the apartment, the smell becoming increasingly sour as he sought out the source. The boy slammed his door shut, chasing after the idiot. Tsuzuki's sharp nose crinkled in disgust as it lead him down the hallway and into the living room, and on the small glass coffee table in front of an ebony couch was a small container that held an eerily familiar deep-red substance. One more whiff was all it took to perfect his recollection as he came within two feet of the stinking liquid: he'd _never_ forgotten that rancid odor with a taste to match; the vomit-inducing bitterness of an unripened persimmon. His demeanor instantly changed, fine features holding a sombre expression as he turned to the empath.

"Hisoka," he sullenly asked, voice hardly above a whisper, "why do you have a jar of Watari's rapid-age potion?"

Hisoka swiftly shifted his gaze away from his partner. Dammit, he'd been caught. He irritably grumbled, "That's none of your business."

"_The hells it isn't_!!!" Purple gems blazed with anger as Tsuzuki roared, "Why would you do something this drastic and not say a _word_ to me about it??" Gripping the younger shinigami's upper arms tightly, he persisted, "What's bothering you so much?? Talk to me!!!"

Instead of attempting to struggle out of Tsuzuki's death-grip on his arms, Hisoka used it to his advantage, balling his fists into the man's heavy coat and slamming him against the nearest wall, shrieking, "AND JUST WHO THE _HELL_ DO YOU THINK _YOU_ ARE, YOU FUCKING HYPOCRITE??!"

Rage was quickly replaced by shock as amethyst eyes widened, boring holes into wild green orbs that showed no trace of the substance that had triggered his previous aggression; everything coming from their host now was his own raw emotion. His grip on Hisoka's arms relented as the youth continued, "You're always so willing to throw yourself into _my_ issues, but you never share _your_ problems with _me_!! Don't you _trust_ me at _all_?! Or is a mere _bouya_ not worth placing your trust in?!"

His screams came in sobs now, streams of tears streaking his porcelain face, but he couldn't care less. Having told his dignity to take a long jump off a short pier, his emotional dam had opened, and there was no stopping the flood. His fears of rejection were swept away in the torrent as he revealed, "_You're_ what's bothering me!!" Releasing Tsuzuki's trench coat and wrapping his arms around the stunned shinigami, Hisoka held to him as if his life was at stake, burrowing his face into the older man's neck.

"Aishiteru, Tsuzuki!"

Pressing the sobbing boy even closer to him, Tsuzuki placed one hand in flaxen hair and the other in the middle of the younger man's back, barely whispering, "Hontou ni?" His own eyes began to well as a gentle nod silently answered him.

"Gomen nasai..." Tsuzuki shakily whispered. "It's my fault you're thinking this way... gomen nasai..." He choked on the words, no longer able to contain his guilt and sorrow as tears escaped their violet prisons. Carefully taking Hisoka's chin in one hand, he tilted the blonde's head up, locking their gazes together. Gods, he could drown in those piercing emerald eyes...

"You've always been so beautiful, 'Soka. I can't count all the times when the only thing that kept me from kissing you was the fear that you would see me as another Muraki. Everything about you is perfect; you're everything I could never hope to be." Stroking a flushed ivory cheek with his thumb, he choked, "Without you, my existence is meaningless..."

Hisoka gasped as Tsuzuki's velvet lips descended upon his own, emotions far too powerful to possibly put into speech overwhelming his empathic senses. His arms encircled the taller man's neck, the pure unconditional love radiating from his partner leaving him weak. 'All of this... for me?' A whimper of disappointment escaped the boy as Tsuzuki pulled away, whispering, "Words can't begin to describe the way I feel."

"Then don't use them."

The brunette's face bore a puzzled look. "What do you mean, 'Soka-chan?"

Hisoka turned bright scarlet, explaining, "Don't tell me," he breathed the words into Tsuzuki's ear, "_show_ me. Take away Muraki's claim over me."

The purple-eyed shinigami quickly returned the blush, stammering, "A-are you sure, Hisoka? I don't think I'll be able to stop myself this time-- aah!" His blood rushed far from his brain and into another head when the blonde ground his erection into Tsuzuki's groin, ferally growling, "You'd better _not_ stop this time."

Hisoka would have yelped with surprise if Tsuzuki's lips and tongue weren't so fiercely entangled with his own as the tables turned, the older man's firm body pinning _him_ against the wall as his black trenchcoat slid off of his broad shoulders and onto the floor. The boy couldn't help moaning into the brunette's mouth at the sensation of hands traveling across his skin, one thumbing a nipple as the other glided under the back of his jeans, groping his ass. Breaking the kiss for much-needed air, trembling fingers attempted to unbutton Tsuzuki's shirt, but after only managing the top four, decided this method was too time-consuming and simply tore the garment open, buttons ricocheting off of the nearest adjacent surface. He needed to feel him _now_, and any protests Tsuzuki might have had died as soon as Hisoka's delicate digits began roaming over the man's torso, tracing his collar bone before rolling his nipples between pinched fingers, wandering lower... The youth bucked into his partner involuntarily, a cry hitching in his throat, as a long, slender finger teased his opening in return.

He savoured the way taut abdominal muscles tensed under his ministrations, the small gasps and moans he could elicit by touch alone fueling his confidence. Sliding the shirt off of Tsuzuki's shoulders as he dropped to his knees, he mimicked what the older man had done to him earlier by running his hot tongue just under the waistline of work pants and boxers that were now painfully restricting, a loud groan from his lover making his _own_ clothing that much more uncomfortable. A few hard tugs at the belt with his teeth was all it took to remove the leather annoyance, the friction from each pull further heating the already over-sensitive skin of Tsuzuki's hips, and soon the lone button between him and the zipper was nothing more than a memory.

Tsuzuki grappled the wall desperately for some sort of support, _anything_, when he dared a glance downward and met Hisoka's intense, lust-clouded gaze, his lips curving into a devilish smile as they pulled the zipper down. Desire-darkened amethyst pools quickly forced themselves shut to keep from coming at the sight. Smirking as he yanked the man's slacks and underwear to his feet, Hisoka asked smugly, "So, does reality top the fantasy?" The boy's every breath left Tsuzuki's now-exposed member aching for more, and when a bold tongue flicked teasingly along the head, he cried out, legs buckling. Warm lips slowly surrounded him, his partner's slick organ wandering over every inch of his length as he took him into his mouth, a smooth, cool hand gripping the base while the other caressed his balls. "_Mmmmm,_" the blonde hummed around his lover's arousal, the vibrations sending the elder man reeling as he pounded a clenched fist into the wall, gritting his teeth. Hisoka slowly started bobbing his head back and forth on Tsuzuki's cock, scraping his teeth along the throbbing flesh, sucking harder and faster as the brunette's breathing became increasingly shallow and uneven.

'Gods, he's so _good,_' was the only intelligent thought to form in Tsuzuki's mind, 'but I don't want it to end just yet...'

Stepping back and forcing Hisoka's hand away gently with his own, he gasped, "M-matte... It's not fair..."

The boy looked up at him in bewilderment as his partner pulled him to his feet. "_You're_ still wearing your pants," Tsuzuki stated matter-of-factly, making quick work of his shoes and socks to kick his remaining garments away. Pressing his young lover to him possessively, he whispered, "Besides, what I want to do to you would be _much_ more comfortable on a bed." Hisoka shivered at the words, eyes pleading, as he grabbed Tsuzuki's hand and rushed him into his bedroom.

AN: If you want to read the rest of the lemon, I'm going to post it on once I finish (considering this site is not NC-17 friendly...)


	7. Reefer Madness

Monday morning came all too soon for everyone in the Shokan division, especially for two particularly exhausted shinigami who trudged sluggishly towards the office they shared. Even Terazuma's snide remarks could rouse no more than a yawn and a wave from the normally hyperactive Tsuzuki, who didn't have the energy to bother with conversation, let alone an argument. Their coworkers were baffled by their lethargic behavior; that is, all but two, who only waved and sent knowing smiles their way.

Watari had certainly been in for a surprise when Bon walked into the office, still sixteen and incoherent with fatigue, but not at all irritable. Tsuzuki had trotted in right beside him, equally worn out and strangely apathetic. That was when Watari had known that things had worked out better than just fine between them. He himself had seen a little action as well; Saturday night, he'd finally convinced Tatsumi to go with him to a dance club in Shibuya, and after having a few drinks, found themselves engaging in a much more intimate form of dancing in the Kagetsukai's bedroom...

After a lengthy conversation the following morning, the subject had turned to Tsuzuki, and knowing that Seiichiro could be trusted with this information, he'd filled him in on the man's at-the-time volatile relationship with Kurosaki-kun. Since then, they'd _both_ been anxiously waiting to see how things panned out between the two. Although their partnership, and relationship, had ended several decades earlier, Tatsumi still cared deeply for his old friend and hoped that he could finally find happiness. It was apparent now, and would become more so over time, that happiness was exactly what his amethyst-eyed ex-partner had achieved.

They'd finally come to an agreement regarding the sleeping rotations; Hisoka would take the first nap under the terms that Tsuzuki would neither let him sleep longer than an hour nor stare at his partner, thinking about how "cute" he was when he slept. No promises were made on the latter condition, but the older man agreed to at least try, knowing how much the boy despised being described by such a childish adjective. Laying his head on the folded arms atop his desk, the weary youth quickly began to doze off.

He'd tried, he really had, for the better part of twenty minutes not to stare at the enchanting form slumbering nearby, but Tsuzuki simply couldn't help himself. Hisoka was so beautiful, _too_ beautiful; it was impossible to keep his gaze away for very long. He sighed hopelessly, a small smile forming on his lips as he scooted closer, a hand reaching out to rub the backs of his fingers along a smooth, porcelain cheek. His smile grew wider as a light pink crept across the bridge of the blonde's nose. 'He's so _cute_ when he blushes...'

The moment was rudely interrupted when Gushoshin the Younger swung the door open, squawking, "Tsuzuki-san! Hisoka-san!" Tsuzuki immediately recoiled his hand, completely caught off guard and practically yelped, "Nan da yo?!" "Hai," uttered a surprised Hisoka, who bolted awake at the sound of the flying chicken's grating voice. "We... have a case," Gushoshin informed them, baffled by their shocked expressions, but not wanting an explaination, either... "We'll head over to Kachou's office right away," the boy hurriedly assured him. As the bird drifted out the door, he wondered, 'Why was Hisoka-san blushing?'

"Gomen nasai," Puppy-Tsuzuki whimpered defeatedly, "but I couldn't resist!" Hisoka only shook his head, grumbling incomprehensibly. "So," Tsuzuki timidly inquired, "are you angry at me?" "No..." To tell the truth, Hisoka was flattered that the elder shinigami found him as attractive as he did. With a seductive glare, the boy glided towards his partner, leaning down to kiss the man's jaw as he breathed, "You'll make it up to me..." running his tongue up the craning neck, "_later_." A hand gripped his chin as violet eyes took on a mischevious glint, a low voice tempting him, "Why not now? We're alone..." "No," was his youthful lover's stern reply, despite his shiver at Tsuzuki's words, "you heard Gushoshin. We have a case. Later." Stepping out of the brunette's reach, the teen sauntered towards their office door, his pet following soon after. Yes, his pet; as much as Tsuzuki liked to pretend he was in control, both men knew that Hisoka was the true master...

It seemed a fairly normal case at first; a nineteen-year-old male had encountered more vertigo problems than he could handle while leaning over a balcony. His soul was still wandering around Chijou, and they were going to retrieve him. At the time, they couldn't have possibly known just how strange this case was going to get...

Arriving in Kagoshima, Tsuzuki pulled from one of his trench pockets the photo of the deceased, Kinoko Ayumu, who sported black, shaggy hair that reached just past his thin shoulders, the majority of which was hidden by a huge rasta hat, colored red, yellow, and green. Bloodshot muddy-brown eyes carried a vacant expression, mouth slightly slack, and he was drowning in clothes at least twice his size. Upon reaching the scene of death, a cheap apartment complex on the outskirts of town, they immediately recognized the man from the picture, staring off into space as he sat on the metal stairs. They approached him cautiously, Tsuzuki being the first to speak, "Sumimasen... are you Kinoko Ayumu?"

"Huh?" The young man's head slowly turned their way, "Did somebody say my name?"

"Uh... Kinoko-san," Tsuzuki addressed awkwardly; this guy was really out of it. The pupils of his half-open eyes were enormous.

"Yeah," the disoriented fellow answered tiredly.

"I'm Tsuzuki Asato, and this," he said, motioning towards his partner, "is Kurosaki Hisoka."

A sloppy smile crossed Ayumu's face as his delayed reply trickled out, "Cool! How's it hangin', dudes?"

"We're shinigami," Hisoka continued, his inability to find a trace of emotion from the spacy man making him quite nervous.

"So you're, like, angels of death or something??" His eyes widened, sending Tsuzuki's stomach into a series of flip-flops. Gods, he hated this part...

"AWESOME!!!"

Both shinigami fell flat on their faces. Two angels of death had just approached him, and he was saying 'awesome?!' "Anou... Kinoko-san?" Tsuzuki warily began pressing for information, rising to his feet, "Do you remember anything that happened two nights ago?" A quizzical expression appeared in Ayumu's visage, and what felt like several minutes passed before he leapt up, pointer finger in the air as his epiphany struck. "Oh yeah," he proclaimed, "that's the night things started gettin' all weird on me!" Not completely convinced he wanted to know the details, Hisoka asked out of duty alone, "So, what happened?"

"Well," Ayumu informed, "that's the night me and a few buddies decided we wanted to go shrooming. We were chillin' out to 'Requiem for a Dream' - damn, that movie's trippy - and when it was over, I went out on the balcony for some fresh air."

The partners looked back and forth from the druggie to each other, afraid to let him continue as he suddenly became very animated, hands flailing about as he went on, "That's when one of the cinder blocks the neighbor had out pulled me down to the ground and head-butted me!! It didn't hurt like I thought it would, but I swear to God that damn cinder block was possessed!!" Moving his face only an inch from Tsuzuki's, eyes bugging, he rasped, "It was pure fuckin' _evil_, man," proceeding to do the same to Hisoka before pulling back and getting on with the story.

"Anyway, I shook it off and went back upstairs to smoke a bowl from the hookah with my boys, and then I heard them askin' each other where I was. I kept tryin' to tell 'em I was right there, but it was like they couldn't even _hear_ me!"

"That's because they _couldn't_ hear you," an irritated Hisoka interrupted, incredibly annoyed at the pothead's unbelievably oblivious state of mind. "They couldn't see you, either. The fall from the balcony broke every vertebrae in your neck and severed your spinal cord."

Slowly, the realization dawned on the reefer fiend as he inquired in a dazed tone, "So... that means I'm dead, huh?"

'Wow, _he_ catches on fast,' Hisoka sarcastically remarked in his mind.

"Yes," Tsuzuki sadly replied, lowering his head. "We're here to take you to Meifu..."

"Whoa..." the stoner marveled, "total buzz-killer, dude..." His eyes grew sober and serious for a moment before he stated in a sullen voice, "There's only one thing I want to ask you before I go with you guys..."

Meeting Ayumu's somber stare, Tsuzuki meekly responded, "What is it?"

"Do you think they'd let me grow my own weed there?"

The elder shinigami's amethyst eyes turned comically beady as Hisoka's eyebrow twitched in frustration. The blonde almost slapped the sweet-addicted baka when he stammered, "W-We'll see what we can work out with Enma-Daioh..."

"Sweeeeeeet," the pothead drooled, consenting completely with a cheerful, "Okay, let's go!"

Later that night at the small, but comfortable house Tsuzuki owned, Hisoka headed straight for the bathroom, massaging his temples in vain as he tried to fend away the slight buzz now in his system, angrily murmuring, "I probably got a contact high just standing next to that guy..."

"'Soka," Tsuzuki called, slightly worried, "where are you going?"

"To wash up," the boy snapped, "I'd rather _not_ go to bed reeking of marijuana."

Hisoka stripped quickly, wanting to be rid of the odor as soon as possible as he stepped into the shower. He closed his eyes as the hot water cleansed his skin, lost in the tingling sensation it provided as he lathered his hair. He felt a twinge of guilt as he reflected on his sour demeanor towards his lover throughout the day; after all, it wasn't _Tsuzuki's_ fault some idiot druggie had been the victim of a bad shroom trip. The brunette wasn't to blame for the pot fiend's nerve-grating, erratic behavior, either...

Thoroughly rinsing the shampoo out, the teen was too consumed by his own thoughts to notice the shower door opening, and it wasn't until powerful arms wrapped around him from behind, his partner's firm body so flush against his own, that he acknowledged the older man's presence. "Tsuzuki?!" He leaned his head back, gazing up into darkened violet spheres as the deep, sensuous voice that sent chills up his spine purred, "I thought I'd help you relax." One hand broke away from the embrace only long enough to grab the hand cloth hung around the shower head, which had retained much of the lavender body wash it had acquired during its previous use. Hisoka couldn't fight the mewls and moans that escaped his throat as his lover, starting with the hands and arms, gently spread creamy suds over every inch of pale flesh his slender fingers could reach, kissing and nipping the youth's neck, jaw, and shoulders. "Besides," Tsuzuki whispered hungrily, "I still need to make up for this morning, remember?" A groan was the only reply the blonde could muster, giving Tsuzuki all the incentive he needed.

By the end of the night, the purple-eyed shinigami's every offense was readily forgiven.

AN: Okay, only one more chapter to go! And I will include the lemon this time


	8. Perfectly Imperfect

Hisoka knew the moment he strode into the office that this was _not_ going to be his day.

The chief had called a last-minute meeting regarding a new addition to the team, so here they all sat in the briefing room, anxious to get things started. However, their new addition was running a bit late, so they were forced to wait on pins and needles.

"Ne, Hisoka," Tsuzuki whispered to his partner (in more ways than one), his voice bubbling with curiosity, "what do you think this guy's gonna be like?"

"Well," the blonde started, "considering the fact that he's running late on his first day of work, he's probably a slacker. _Like someone else I know_," he accused, glaring at the man beside him.

"Hidoi," said slacker whined, eyes shimmering as his bottom lip puffed out, adorning the most sincere pouty-face he could before defending himself. "There are plenty of things I take seriously!"

"Name one," the boy snorted, immediately regretting his words as Tsuzuki's lips curved into a impish grin. Oh gods, _that_ look.

"I didn't think you'd want to discuss _that_ in the workplace, Hisoka, but if you insi--"

The mortified teen clamped a hand tightly over the brunette's mouth, blushing deeply as he looked anywhere but to his left. That hand quickly retreated to his side when a wet tongue began flicking at his fingers, his entire face taking on a scarlet hue as his blazing eyes shot lethal daggers at the elder shinigami, who winked in return.

All heads turned towards the door as it opened, at last revealing JuOhCho's latest recruit. Emerald orbs widened in horror and disbelief. 'This has _got_ to be some kind of mistake... A terrible, _terrible_ mistake...'

"Sorry I'm late, Konoe-sama," the dreadfully familiar voice apologized.

"Well, you're here now," the chief gruffly replied, neither forgiving nor condemning his tardy new employee. "Listen up, everyone," he began, standing as he spoke, "especially _you_, Genki." He sent a stern look in Watari's direction, who blinked rapidly as if to say, 'who, me?'

"This is your new partner. His psychokinesis and clairaudience levels are astronomical, both of which can be valuable tools in our more," he hesitated for a moment, "difficult cases. Go ahead and introduce yourself," Konoe grumbled, retaking his seat.

"I'm Kinoko Ayumu. It's a pleasure to meet you all," the young man said with a bright smile, politely bowing and turning to the golden-haired shinigami, who responded with equal cheer, "Watari Yutaka ya. Yoroshii ya na!" He was taken aback completely when his new partner beamed widely and responded, "Honma ni!"

Said shinigami flew from his chair, nearly bowling Ayumu over as he tackled him in a fierce bear hug, exclaiming, "You speak my language!!" Streams of comical tears poured from amber eyes, the genki scientist nearly beside himself with joy. "I like you already!"

Everyone uttered their various welcomes, although Terazuma's was more a growl than anything else; his eyes were hatefully glued to the man's t-shirt, which proudly proclaimed, "Bad Cop! No Doughnut!"

Hisoka was in a state of total disbelief. 'Is this Enma's idea of a twisted joke?! We've hired a 'Carrie'-gone-druggie who hears voices and paired him with Watari. _Watari_!' If his fuming were any more obvious, smoke would have come pouring out of his ears.

"Kurosaki-kun?" Konoe asked the boy worriedly, "Are you well?"

"I think... I need to use the restroom," the teen croaked sickly, and his now ghostly complexion did not incline the chief to take any chances. The old man nodded his consent, and the blonde staggered out of the meeting room.

"I wonder what made him ill all of a sudden," Tsuzuki wondered aloud, his concerned violet eyes boring holes into the designs of the wooden table.

That was when they heard the distant scream, "WHY DO YOU HATE ME, GOD??!"

"C'mon, Soka," Tsuzuki begged upon returning to the office. "He's got to have _some_ good qualities!" Hisoka only snarled something about "bakas" and "potheads" and turned away from said idiot. The classic pouty-face made a powerful comeback as the elder shinigami pleaded tearfully, "Hisokaaa..." His efforts, however, were in vain: the boy wasn't budging at all. He sighed defeatedly, walking towards his seething companion and linked comforting arms around the teen's waist. "Just try," he asked quietly, "to settle down, okay? You know I can't stand to see you upset."

Hisoka hated it when Tsuzuki did this, engulfing his mind with soothing emotions and dissolving any traces of frustration. It had always been difficult to remain angry at his partner for very long, especially when a caress so simple as the accidental brushing of the hands made him forget how to breathe.

"Let me help you unwind," Tsuzuki breathed enticingly against the blonde's ear, earning a delighted shudder from his younger lover as his graceful fingers slithered underneath the youth's shirt.

The empath suddenly pulled away, quite flustered. "We're still at work, you idiot!"

"That's not a problem," the brunette replied in a low voice, "as long as you don't make too much noise." His starved gaze was quickly devouring Hisoka's self control as the older man strode to the door, locking it. Reapproaching his lover, a dangerous gleam tinted amethyst gems as he gripped the younger shinigami's chin, locking his lips in a hungry kiss. Hisoka moaned, melting into Tsuzuki's embrace as a brazen tongue ravaged his mouth, an intoxicating lust penetrating every fiber of his being, merging with his own. He quickly began unbuttoning the older man's shirt as he felt himself pushed against a wall, hot open-mouthed kisses seeking out pleasure points on his neck. How did Tsuzuki _always_ have this effect on him?! He briefly recalled when they'd gone to the movies on Sunday; he hadn't been able to say no to him at the theater either, when his partner had dragged him into the bathroom...

All of this was immediately forgotten when Tsuzuki started toying with the boy's nipples through the fabric of his shirt, sighing in satisfaction when Hisoka nipped and sucked along his throat in response, the empath's own fingernails gently scratching down the brunette's exposed torso. Crushing their bodies together, grinding against the teen in slow, liquid motions, his passion doubled as he glanced at his younger lover, who had his teeth firmly implanted in his bottom lip, brows furrowed in concentration, trying so hard not to make a sound... Tsuzuki was all the more determined to make him try harder.

His fingers slid up the blonde's stomach and chest, hiking the shirt up with them just enough to reveal hardened pink nipples that called out to him, and covered one with his mouth, lightly biting and sucking for a few moments before moving to the other. Hisoka barely supressed the lustful moans that threatened to escape him, instead desperately whimpering, both terrified and painfully aroused at the thought of his coworkers hearing them.

Lapping his way down his love's abdomen, Tsuzuki nearly ripped the boy's jeans open, kneeling as he forcefully tugged them to his partner's feet, winding his tongue up the inside of one leg and back down the other before teasing the tip of Hisoka's throbbing member. The youth bit down on his own hand to keep from crying out when one of his older lover's hands cupped around his balls, gently massaging them as the violet-eyed man licked up and down his length. Moments like this made Hisoka glad he'd started going commando...

The teen couldn't restrain a shout of shock and pleasure when Tsuzuki suddenly took him into his mouth, sucking hard at a much faster pace than usual, the man's free fingers demanding entrance through his lips which he freely gave. He returned to the elder shinigami the favor bestowed on his pulsing erection, sucking the digits in a fashion that mimicked those of Tsuzuki's lips and tongue, relishing the shockwave of desire that rolled through his companion at the action. Those fingers pushed in and out of the moist cavern, imitating what they both wanted - _needed_ - Tsuzuki's lower body to do before pulling out traveling southward. As the older man continued savouring the taste of Hisoka's cock, his fingers glided down the empath's spine, coming to rest inbetween the curves of his buttocks, two saliva-coated digits penetrating the teen's quivering opening.

A loud groan shattered the near-silence as a third finger joined the first two, the boy's lithe form in tremors from supressed want, as Hisoka found himself unable to control his throat's lust-ridden emissions any longer. Pleading emerald orbs met a smoldering amethyst gaze when the sensuous ministrations stopped, a whimper leaving his lips as he silently begged his lover to continue. Rising and bringing his face to meet that of the flushed teen's, the brunette chastised teasingly, "I told you, Hisoka," the hand previously on the youth's balls now stroking his weeping arousal, "we can't make a lot of noise. We're in the office, remember?" Hisoka hardly had time to hiss, "You bastard--" before his lips were caught in a fiery embrace with Tsuzuki's own.

Tsuzuki knew his partner was more than ready when the boy began backing onto his fingers, half-lidded eyes silently begging the older man to take him. He gripped the willowy teen's shoulder, removing the digits and turning him to face the wall as he stepped back just long enough to open his slightly soggy slacks, pressing his sorely neglected member against the youth's entrance as he grasped Hisoka's hips. The blonde boy instantly spread his lean legs wide as wide as the jeans pooled at his feet would allow, doing all in his diminishing power not to moan as his older lover slid into him.

Tsuzuki's pace quickly turned frantic with unanswered need, jerking Hisoka's cock roughly in time with his thrusts. The boy's knees bent under the force of the brunette's movements as his groans escalated; at this point, Enma-Daioh himself could walk in on them and neither man would care. The elder shinigami leaned down, moaning into his partner's neck as the boy began moving back onto him with thrusts of his own, panting, "O-onegai, Asato!... I... I'm so close!..." Tsuzuki drove into him wildly as his love's back began to arch, muscles clamping down around him, as Hisoka came hard into his hand with a shout, "Oh, _gods_!!!!" The brunette sank his teeth into the youth's shoulder, groaning loudly as he reached his climax, riding the intense waves of pleasure as the teen continued to whimper and moan beneath him.

His thrusts slowed and came to a stop as the moment passed, gingerly pulling out of his smaller lover before turning the younger shinigami around and gently planting kisses on the boy's forehead, cheeks, chin, and finally his lips. "Aishiteru, Hisoka..."

They quickly redressed, desposing of the evidence that had managed to reach the wall and carpet, cuddling tiredly on the couch they'd moved into the office a few months prior. Tsuzuki loved being able to hold Hisoka like this... the feeling that flooded his senses when the teen was cradled in his arms, head resting in the nape of his neck, was the perfect salve for his battered and broken spirit. With Hisoka beside him, he might even heal completely one day--

A knock at the door stirred them from each other's arms, both glaring viciously at the portal, despising whoever dared to ruin this perfect moment.

They begrudgingly rose and strode towards the door, Tsuzuki opening it to reveal the unlucky offender, who just happened to be Kinoko Ayumu. "Hey," their new coworker greeted sheepishly, "just wanted to apologize for yesterday. I was pretty blazed..." Hisoka's answer was a surprisingly nonchalant, "Don't worry about it." He continued with a light threat, "Just don't let us catch you high on a case. I don't see why people do that sort of stuff anyway..."

Tsuzuki smiled warmly at the empath, pleased at the change in the boy's demeanor. He _had_ helped him get in a better mood.

Ayumu's earthen eyes grew very distant and sorrowful at the empath's remark as he gave his pained reply, "Sometimes, life throws things at you that you'd rather forget," a sad smile forming on his face, "you know?"

Both shinigami nodded somberly; they knew exactly what he meant. 'He has his problems just like everyone else here... maybe it _won't_ be so bad working with him...'

Ayumu stayed for ten minutes or so making idle chit-chat with the two men, and then departed for his own office. As soon as he left, an exhausted Tsuzuki and an equally fatigued Hisoka returned to their positions on the couch, the contentment the former had felt before returning as he held his beautiful younger partner close to him once more. He knew things weren't perfect, and probably never would be; not at work among their peers, and not at home in their personal life.

But he also knew they didn't _have_ to be.


	9. The Drowess' Note: Sequel?

Yes, I'm going to make a sequel for this, and it will have a plotline beyond sex! O.O (not that it won't still have sex in it... xD I'm hopeless) I won't update quite as much as I did with this story in the hopes of improving my writing; I don't think I did nearly as well as I could have on this one. Till then, ja na!


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